zebra eel and lion help

[ironhorse]

I got my tank up and running so today I bought a zedra eel and a moon lion, the water all checks out fine and the other fish are doing great however the lion took to the bottom of the tank and is just hanging near the bottom ( really not swimming around ) and the eel took to the rocks and I see him moving around but he has not come out since I put him in... My question is do you think they just need to get used to their new home?

Water tasted great, the temp is a little high at 80 but I am lowering it a little at time to 76-78

 

[JVITAL55]

Some fish will tend to do that when new. I have fish do that for days, then they come around. As for the zebra, you may not see a whole lot of him. They love to hide. Mine only comes out when it's time to eat.

 

[ironhorse]

Lol I was hoping to see at least his head, I see him behind the rock work do you hand fed yours? new to the fish only thing and dont want to get stung..... I have a puffer the eel and lion will be adding 2 triggers.. the tank is a 76 gallon half circle with the biggest skimmer that would fit I think it is rated for a 200 gallon tank.

thanks for the input

 

[ironhorse]

I also tried to feed the eel tonight and he did not come out to eat, the lion did and my puffer was hard to keep away while I was giving the lion and eel their food.... He was a pig....

 

[IchthyoloChris]

JVITAL55 +1. Can definitely take new fish a couple days to get begin to get used to a new tank. Keeping the lights off or dim can help them adjust quicker.

You may have to hand feed / target feed the zebra once you add the triggers.

 

[welsher7]

that is what lionfish and eels do. mine aren't real active they just hang out until feeding time. What kind of puffer do you have and what kind of trigger do you plan on adding?

 

[JVITAL55]

I feed my eels with long tongs. You pretty much have to direct the food right in front of thier faces. They don't see too well and they are not fast enough to find the food in the tank, especially if you have fast, aggressive fish in there. I have a large blue throat trigger that will try to steal the food as I'm feeding the eels, so I gaurd it with a net as I'm lowering it into the water.

 

[welsher7]

Jvital55, I have to do the same thing when feeding my zebra eel. I use a piece of long rigid airline that I have sharpened one end of.

 

[ironhorse]

I tried to feed it with a long thin stick, I can not get it to come out from the rocks I have live rock covering the center over flow box about 125lbs and when I added the eel he took off behind the rocks and that was that.. Today the lion is swimming all over but the eel has not even poked his head out.. Feeding him this way will be hard. Any ideas on how long it will take until he comes out.. The puffer eats like crazy and goes after everything I put in the tank, it is in the dog face family..

 

[Stuart60611]

I have read that it is not at all unusual for an eel to not eat for two weeks upon being first introduced to a new tank. Eels can go a long time wthout eating. Keep trying to introduce food to the eel with a feeding stick. Eventually, the eel should eat. Be patient and do not panic. This is not that unusual. I have had fish not eat for 1 week after being first introduced to a tank multiple times. Eventually, the fish ate and was fine.

 

[ironhorse]

tried to feed him again tonight no luck, will try again tomorrow. Question on lion puffers and eels how often do you feed them and how much. I have been given mine 2 pieces squid each

 

[IchthyoloChris]

If the zebra eel continues to resist feeding, try live shrimp or live (small) crayfish. Zebra eels eat primarily crustaceans in the wild. When I've dealt with zebra eels in the past, small live crayfish were always my "magic" food to get the stubborn ones going.

 

[billvan]

Is this a brand new tank and cylced properly?

 

[ironhorse]

No it was a reef tank that I made a fish only when I went with a custom 180 gallon tank that will be the reef set up. I had to redo the rock work which the eel knocked everything down last night so I redid everything tonight and give it alot more room behind the rock, I still my redo it again not real happy with the way it came out. I did try and feed him again tonight with no luck I may try the crayfish if it wont eat later on in the week.

 

[Patrick12]

I see lionfish diving on the reefs here all day long and all they do is hang around. The only swimming they do when they are being chased or chasing food.

 

[ironhorse]

The lion is really a cool fish, and he eats great and he hangs on the rock and swims all day.. The eel has been a pain, not eating and knocking down the live rock but I still like him.

 

[billvan]

Keep trying with the Eel, he should eat eventually, I have a Zebra Eel and he was finicky at first, now I don't even have to target feed him, he come looking for freeze dred shrimp when start feeding Puffer and Trigger

 

[ironhorse]

I am going to try again tomorrow, any idea what triggers I should get, I would like to add 2 of them, I have a jap moon lion and a puffer and the eel, this is a 76 half circle the only other thing I would like to add is the triggers.

Thanks for all the help

 

[onebadgt]

That sounds a lot liek how our lion fish & ell act. Depending on when and how much the eel was last fed, he may just not be hungry yet. Most of the time they will come around when they get hungry. We use a feeder stick to feed ours, as he prefers freeze dried krill over anything else.

 

[LisaD]

I hate that I'm starting to sound like the tang police, but you really can't put two triggers (at least not adult sized) in your 76 gallon half circle tank. Honestly, I think you would be pushing it with one. Triggers also aren't generally the best tankmates for lionfish.

What kind of puffer do you have? "True" Arothron puffers and the regular porcupine puffers grow quite big, none under 12". Most puffers are also considered a risk with lionfish, including the smaller tobies. I think you are pretty much fully stocked right now. If you feel you must add other fish, I'd choose a lower bioload fish like a dwarf angel, and not many more.

I'm also afraid your zebra eel is going to outgrow that tank, unless you stock with very little besides the lionfish. I had mine in a 5' 120, and that seemed like an okay size tank. The zebra moray is now in a 210. It is over 3 feet long, but it's a thick 3 feet. I've had it about 8 years (I lose track). My zebra eel likes frozen shrimp best. I feed it from a stick. They have really poor eyesight and seem to struggle to find food. I call mine Mr. Magoo. I've taught him that when I rap the feeder stick on the side of the glass inside the tank, that there is something for him, and he usually figures out to go toward the sound to get his shrimp.

It's not unusual for them to be slow feeders when introduced to a tank. They also aren't aggressive feeders. My 2 foot Brazilian dragon moray outeats my 3+ foot zebra moray 4 or 5 yto 1. Here is a good article from WWM:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebramor.htm